Sail Magazine

by Peter Nielsen

Peter Nielsen is SAIL’s Editor-in-Chief.

Just Launched: New Rackam Wing 26 Heats Up the Market

by Peter Nielsen, Posted February 1, 2012

Recently launched boats boast of high-performance, luxury and quality that sailing enthusiasts can't miss out on. Think high-performance sub-30-foot racer/ cruiser multihull and you think trimaran. But the imminent arrival in the United States of the Rackam Wing 26 Xtreme could quickly change that.

Tom Corogan Making Sixth Solo-Trip Around Cape Horn

by Peter Nielsen, Posted February 1, 2012

Is it the dandelions he regularly eats, or the well water he drinks at home in Port Clinton, Ohio? Whatever it is, it’s working for Tom Corogan, who at the age of 84 is making his sixth attempt to round Cape Horn—solo

Four Inexpensive Upgrades

by Peter Nielsen, Posted February 1, 2012

Here are four inexpensive additions and upgrates from experienced cruiser Terry Kotas, who sails Cetus, a Fantasia 35.

Caught Out

by Peter Nielsen, Posted December 21, 2011

A closer look at the Rambler and WingNuts tragedies, and what it means for sailors everywhere

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Passport Vista 545 CC (Flagship: Monohull)

by Peter Nielsen, Posted November 17, 2011

Passport has been creating strong, beautifully detailed cruising boats at its yard in Xiamen, China, for 20 years and each new model evolves slightly from the previous one. Looking at the new Passport Vista 545 CC at Annapolis made us wonder if the factory locks a man inside the boat each night and gives him breakfast only after he has come up with some small improvement.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Leopard 44 (Cruising Multihull Under 50ft)

by Peter Nielsen, Posted November 17, 2011

South African builder Robertson and Caine consistently hits the mark with its cruising/charter cats, designed by American firm Morrelli & Melvin. The new 44 combines practicality, volume and decent performance in a capable-looking package.

Impeller Etiquette

by Peter Nielsen, Posted November 16, 2011

Get to grips with an often over-looked but vital part of an engine cooling system in this step by step procedure

Draft Dodger

by Peter Nielsen, Posted October 31, 2011

Britain’s boatbuilding industry is a shadow of what it was back in the 1970s and 80s, but a handful of boutique yards still thrives around its shores. One such is Northshore Yachts, whose Southerly range has survived four decades of the boom-and-bust cycles that saw once-mighty production brands tumble.

New Boats Debut at Fall Shows

by Peter Nielsen, Posted September 30, 2011

It’s fall, and boat show season is upon us. It kicked off on the East Coast with the Newport International Boat Show, in France with the Grand Pavois de La Rochelle, and in England with the Southampton Boat Show. A jetlagged Peter Nielsen visited all three in one week. Here’s what he saw…

Take the Load Off

by Peter Nielsen, Posted September 27, 2011

For several years we sailed our 34ft sloop without feeling the need for a windlass. The weight of the ground tackle—a 22-pound Delta anchor, 70 feet of 5/16in hi-test chain and 200 feet of nylon rode—was seldom an issue in the shallow anchorages we tend to frequent. But I’ve been involved in enough anchoring dramas to know that for more ambitious cruising, an electric windlass